Teen could reign supreme at 97th New Jersey Open

This week promises to be a bumpy ride with the start of a tough NYC commute, a sports talk radio audition for Governor Chris Christie and a sentencing of one of his former allies.
John C. Ensslin

JACKSON – A high school junior has a chance to become the youngest winner in the 97-year history of the New Jersey Open Championship.

Monmouth County’s Brendan Hansen, 17, holds a one-shot lead entering Thursday’s final round at long and punishing Metedeconk National Golf Club.

Hansen, a Spring Lake resident and rising junior at state power Christian Brothers Academy, shot 1-under-par 71 during Wednesday’s morning wave and he stands at 1-over 145.

Teen Brendan Hansen holds a one-shot lead entering the final round of the 97th New Jersey Open Championship.(Photo11: GREG MATTURA/NORTHJERSEY.COM)

“I think I put myself in a good position for [Thursday],” said Hansen, who counts Metedeconk National among his home courses. “And that’s really all that matters.”

Hansen holds a one-shot lead over Grant Sturgeon, who is in his first year as the pro at Arcola in Paramus. Sturgeon, making his Open debut, shot 74 during the morning wave for a 146. Hansen and Sturgeon will tee off in Thursday's final twosome at 8:44 a.m.

The youngest winner of this New Jersey State Golf Association event is Short Hills’ Max Greyserman, who won in 2014 at age 19. Greyserman recently turned pro and qualified for this year’s U.S. Open.

Pro Richard Terga of Mountain Ridge and amateur Logan Sabins of Jumping Brook are tied for third at 147 after each shot 73 in the morning, when there was considerably less wind.

Pro Alex Beach of Baltusrol, who qualified for this year’s PGA Championship, is tied for fifth at 148 after carding 73. Beach, 27, may have best summed up Metedeconk when he said, “It really tests your patience, with the weather especially.”

Pro Tyler Hall of Upper Montclair, bidding to become the first to three-peat since 1929, missed the cut to the low 50 and ties. The Wayne resident carded 81 for 163, and the cut was 159.

Hansen had five birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey on a course playing 7,094 yards. He double-bogeyed the par-4 17th after hitting his approach shot over the green. Still, he was the only player to break par Wednesday.

“I played a lot better than my score showed,” said Hansen, who turned 17 in March and in May helped CBA win New Jersey’s high school Tournament of Champions. He added, “I drove the ball really well. I think I only missed one fairway.”

Sturgeon has lived up to his pre-tournament billing as a contender. Sturgeon, who won the Met Open in 2014 at Trump National in Bedminster, had four birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey.

“Hopefully I’ll be ready to go [Thursday],” said Sturgeon, 39, who planned to practice his putting Wednesday afternoon. “Nothing too complicated. I’ll pick a small target off No. 1 and let it rip.”

Pro Grant Sturgeon of Arcola CC is one shot off the lead entering the final round of the 97th New Jersey Open Championship.(Photo11: GREG MATTURA/NORTHJERSEY.COM FILE)

Terga had three consecutive birdies en route to his 73, capping that stretch with a 25-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 fifth.

“Hopefully I’ll play [Thursday] the same as I did [Wednesday],” said Terga, 41, who last year tied for fourth, “and hopefully a few less [strokes]. That would be nice.”

Sabins also had a stretch of three consecutive birdies en route to his 73. Sabins, 20, a resident of Spring Lake Heights and rising sophomore at Butler University, birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th with putts ranging from 10 to 20 feet.

“I’m going to really try to not look at any scoreboards [Thursday],” Sabins said.